To prevent another freakout on the internet over expiring Netflix Instant titles, Netflix will no longer provide the expiration dates of its titles as part of its public API.

A little information can be a dangerous thing, especially when people don’t know what the information they get actually means. InstantWatcher.com has mined the Netflix API for years, letting people know how long they have to watch that title that’s been sitting in their queue. However, with the expiration of its exclusive EPIX deal, combined with a large block of titles from Warner Brothers all going at the same time, a massive internet freakout ensued recently, tied to the usual conspiracy theories about how The Man was only looking to milk them for more money. Warner Archive Instant issued a denial that the disappearing Warner titles had anything to do with its streaming service.

Hundreds of titles expire every month on Netflix. 20th Century Fox, for example, had a huge amount of material set to go away, including TV shows like Buffy, Angel, 24, and Prison Break. But either thanks to mistakes at InstantWatcher, or more likely a renewal of the contract, those shows are no longer on the chopping block, and still available as of this writing.

Very few of the titles on Netflix are “leverage worthy,” and that’s why you see the same selection of movies on so many different services. The real fight is for the first-run, or near-first-run cable rights for movies, which is what the EPIX deal was all about. Netflix has already started bidding on and winning these kinds of rights, like snatching the Disney package from former licensor Starz. Just remember, if Netflix doesn’t own it, chances are it’ll go away someday. The nature of non-ownership is fleeting, so if there’s a movie you really want to watch in your instant queue, watch it while you have the chance.

Features

Most people think they have to overhaul a sprawling basement or game room in order to create a true home theater experience. But that’s certainly not the case. You can create a true home theater, a room that lets you escape from the outside world and immerse yourself in top-notch audio and larger-than-life video in so much as a spare room.

AMX-controlled smart home by MediaTech Intelligent Home Systems (www.mediatechliving.com)

Intelligent homes are nothing new. Manufacturers like Crestron, AMX, Control4, Elan, Savant, and others have been playing the home automation game for years, decades even. These OG home automation systems require a custom integrator to install, usually have some hard-wired element, and are intuitive, sophisticated, feature-rich, and highly functional.

You were blessed with lots of windows and your living room has incredible natural light. So what’s the problem? Oh, is glare ruining your TV picture? Read on to find expert advice to fix this annoying problem.

You are trying to watch a film in high-def on Apple TV, your daughter is listening to Spotify while she’s doing homework, your wife is working on her laptop, your toddler is playing on the iPad, and your son is, gulp, doing some serious PC gaming. All this online action can bring your home network to its knees.